Metallic Mordants Research Articles

Upcycling sawdust into colorant: Ecofriendly natural dyeing of fabrics with ultrasound assisted dye extract of Pterocarpus indicus Willd.

Exploitation of synthetic dyes in a variety of manufacturing sectors including textiles poses serious problems to the environment. Natural dyes are becoming vital alternatives to toxic synthetic dyes, however, with limitations such as availability and process standardization. Herein, we explore the dyeing potential of a sawdust, Pterocarpus indicus Willd., which is widely available as a waste from timber industry in South Asia and other parts of the world. Ultrasound assisted extraction method was carried out to extract natural dye from the sawdust. The extract was used to dye cotton and silk fabrics using various metallic and natural mordants such as alum, stannous chloride, copper sulphate, gallnut, pomegranate rind and gooseberry and the process was optimized. The effect of different pretreatments such as chitosan and myrobalan on dyeing fabrics was also studied. Colour properties of the naturally dyed fabrics such as colour strength, colour co-ordinates and various fastness were assessed. The natural mordants such as gallnut, pomegranate rind and gooseberry provided comparable fastness property to metallic mordants, thereby suggesting the use of the extracted dye with natural mordants for exclusive eco-friendly dyeing. We also demonstrate that chitosan and myrobalan pretreatments significantly enhance the colour strength, colour fastness and UV protection properties of naturally colored cotton and silk fabrics. Overall, the results suggest copper sulphate mordanting with chitosan pretreatment and stannous chloride mordanting with myrobalan pretreatment as the best combination for cotton and silk fabrics, respectively considering the color fastness and UV protection properties. The results provide ample scope for the upcycling of timber industry waste into a natural dye for eco-friendly coloration of fabrics.

Reusing wasteroot of Rubia wallichiana dyeing from Monpa of Tibet in China

Humans have dyed textiles and leather, colored food, and paint body parts using natural dyes throughout history. Natural dyes have suffered drastically due to recent socioeconomic changes and replacement with synthetic dye in the textile industry. Hence, it is urgent to study indigenous dye plants and dyeing craft in local communities to protect these resources' potential ecological, economic, and cultural values. In 11 Monpa villages of Mêdog County, South-east Tibet, China, we conducted field research to record the indigenous method of cloth dyeing using madder dye. An aqueous extract of the root of Rubia wallichiana is a traditional madder dye. In this study, we used traditional dye and ethyl alcohol extract of the residue of aqueous extract. Two fabrics were dyed with the extractions in the presence of one of the metallic mordants or biomordants. Pigment compounds from aqueous extraction of madder and ethyl alcohol extraction of recycled madder were evaluated using Phytochemical, UV–visible spectroscopy, and FTIR test. We carried out One-way ANOVA and Duncan's new multiple range method to analyze different dying approaches and conditions. The dyed fabrics were evaluated by indicators of color strength and fastness, including washing, rubbing, and perspiration. The findings revealed the potentiality of biomordants to improve the dyeing properties of madder. The dyeing properties of recycled madder were marginally better than traditional madder. The results revealed the feasibility of enhancing the dyeing property and reuse of the residue from madder dyeing. The improved dyeing and reuse of residue can improve local ecological, economic benefits, and cultural heritage while applying research findings for the subsequent commercialization of plant dyes.

Comparison of the effect of metal mordants and bio‐mordants on the colorimetric and antibacterial properties of natural dyes on cotton fabric

AbstractThe main objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of bio‐mordants versus metal mordants in terms of colour measurement, colour fastness, and antibacterial properties of a natural dye extract (Hibiscus sabdariffaL.) on the cotton fabric. Accordingly, some bio‐mordants including tannic acid, pine cone, lemon peel, and sodium alginate, as well as some metal mordants such as iron(II) sulphate, copper sulphate, zinc sulphate, and aluminium potassium sulphate were investigated based on three conventional mordanting procedures (pre‐, meta‐ and after‐mordanting). The method appropriate forH. sabdariffadyeing on the cotton fabric, according to the colour fastness factor, was found to be the after‐mordanting method. The bio‐mordants used in this study, the same as metal salts, increased the colour fastness on the dyed cotton fabrics and produced excellent light fastness (rating of 5 to 6), wash fastness (rating of 4 to 5), and dry/wet rub fastness (rating of 4 to 5). The higher antibacterial activities (> 90% bacterial reduction) againstEscherichia coli,Staphylococcus aureus, andPseudomonasaeruginosawere observed when tannic acid, pine cone, and lemon peel were applied to the dyed cotton fabric. The use of bio‐mordants in the natural dyeing of the cotton fabric could be, therefore, recommended due to the biocompatibility and non‐toxicity of natural mordants, along with excellent colour fastness and appropriate antibacterial properties.

Effect of turmeric dye and biomordants on knitted cotton fabric coloration: A promising alternative to metallic mordanting

Textile coloration using synthetic dyes is not eco-friendly and has detrimental impact on wearer skin. Hence, natural dye is assumed as a suitable alternative for sustainable textile manufacturing and coloration. In this study, we utilized Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) extract for cotton fabric dyeing. Additionally, biomordants (derived from Citrus lemon and Colocasia esculenta bulk) and metallic mordants (Potassium dichromate and Potash alum) pre-treatments were carried out to upturn the overall uptake of dyes into the fabric interior. The resulted color-strength (K/S) of biomordant pretreated sample was two times higher (K/S=8.6) than the metal mordanted sample (K/S=4.0). To investigate the fastness properties of dyed fabric varities, colorfastness to rub (dry and wet), wash, water, and perspiration test were performed and found superior result for bio-crosslinkers compared to metallic salts chelation. Futhermore, the visual uniformity and moisture absorption on the hue (h*) by the final dyed samples were also found excellent in both mordanted dyed fabrics. Thereby, this dyeing process propossed the viability of natural dyestuff with synthetic auxiliaries for facile cotton fabric coloration. Therefore, the utilization of Turmeric extract as a usefull dye source and Citrus lemon, Colocasia esculenta bulk extract as biomordant could reckon a positive insight for cleaner textile manufacturing and dyeing. • Mordants effect on colour strength and fastness properties of Turmeric dyes. • A potential and sustainable source of dyeing textile materials for better cleaner environments. • Citrus lemon juice, Colocasia esculenta bulk juice used as a Bio-mordants. • Dyed fabric shows comparatively better colour strength and colourfastness. • Better visual uniformity and moisture absorption during the use of Citrus lemon, Colocasia esculenta bulk juice.

Nondestructive discrimination of red silk single fibers using total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence spectrometry.

In a strangulation case, when a necktie is used as a murder weapon, the dyed silk single fiber becomes an important evidence sample to solve the crime. Dyed silk single fibers contain elements, such as Cr and Co, which are obtained from dyeing using metal mordants. Currently, there are no nondestructive and sufficiently sensitive elementary analytical methods for the forensic analysis of single fibers. Therefore, in this study, eight commercially available red silk samples were collected and used for total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) and synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence (SR-XRF) spectrometry. Benchtop TXRF detected both S in the silk protein and Cl and Ca, which are elements absorbed from the environment by silkworms, but also Cr, which is a dyeing derivative for metal mordants. The presence of Cr and Zn, in addition to the Zn/Cr signal intensity ratios, was reported to be particularly useful identifiers. In SR-XRF, the presence of Cr, Co, Zn, and Br and the Zn/Cr signal intensity ratios were reported to be useful discriminating indicators. In this study, the nondestructive discrimination capabilities of TXRF and SR-XRF measurements for the samples were found to be 85.7% and 100%, respectively. Therefore, we propose a combination of TXRF and SR-XRF as a new nondestructive single fiber identification method for forensic science. Moreover, if partial destruction of a single fiber is allowed, the observation of the cross section and micro-Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy measurements is useful for identifying red silk fibers.

Application of natural yellow (curcumin) dye on silk to impart multifunctional finishing and validation of dyeing process using BBD model

AbstractDyeing of silk fabric was carried with curcumin, extracted from turmeric, which is known for its yellow colour and antioxidant properties. Design expert Box‐Behnken design (BBD) model was employed to perform dyeing experiments on silk fabric with curcumin dye. The dyed fabrics were characterized for its functional properties by colour measurement as K/S values, antioxidant activity by DPPH assay and UPF. The curcumin dyed silk samples showed upto 88% antioxidant activity and good to excellent ultraviolet protection depending on the percentage of curcumin used. The effect of pre‐mordanting using metal mordants was also studied.

Dyeing of cotton fabric with Euclea divinorum extract using response surface optimization method

PurposeThe majority of the synthetic dyes have been found to be non-biodegradable, toxic and carcinogenic. As a result, there has been a growing trend toward the use of natural dyes as alternates to synthetic dyes. This shift calls for more research to come up with more sources of natural dyes to satisfy their increasing demand. Euclea divinorum plant has been used traditionally as a source of dye, however, its textile dyeing properties have not been studied. This study aims to determine the textile dyeing properties of E. divinorum extract.Design/methodology/approachOptimization of dyeing conditions of Euclea divinorum natural dye extract on the cotton fabric was done using response surface methodology (RSM). The combined effects of examined dyeing conditions on the relative color strength (K/S) were studied using a central composite experimental design. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the significance of the statistical model generated for the study. Mordanting effects were measured using standard ISO wash, rub and lightfastness tests.FindingsThe optimum dyeing conditions were found to be 68 min, pH 3.3 and 82°C with color strength 0.609. Temperature and pH showed some interaction effects during the dyeing experiments. The predicted optimum K/S value was validated experimentally using the optimum conditions and was found to be in agreement with the experimental values. All the metallic mordants used enhanced the color strength and provided a variety of brown shades, therefore, a suitable alternative for the toxic synthetic dyes.Originality/valueOptimization of dyeing conditions of Euclea divinorum dye on cotton using RSM and mordanting at optimal conditions has not been done elsewhere.

Eco-friendly dyeing of cotton fabric using natural dye from orange peel

We present a novel application of tannic acid as mordant for dyeing cotton fabric with natural orange peel. Orange peel (OP) pigments were extracted from orange peel with 95% ethanol. Cotton knitted fabric (for baby garment use in the future) was dyed with OP extracts using tannic acid as mordant which avoids environmental pollution and health damages from metal mordant. Effects of dyeing methods and conditions, including concentration of tannic acid, liquor ratio, temperature and time on the colors of the dyed cotton fabrics, were studied. Then, CIELab color characteristic values (L*, a*, b*, c*, and h°), color strength (K/S) values of dyed cotton fabrics were examined and the fastness of dyed cotton against both dry and wet rubbing were evaluated. All the dyed cotton fabrics demonstrated good colorfastness to rubbing, good colorfastness to washing with soap and acceptable colorfastness to light.

Impacts of natural and synthetic mordants on cotton knit fabric dyed with natural dye from onion skin in perspective of eco-friendly textile process

An important concern has been reached a growing interest in natural dyes in the textile dyeing industry for coloring fabrics due to growing environmental consciousness of preventing toxic synthetic dyes. Moreover, the use of metallic mordants does not make them entirely eco-friendly. Being aware of this, this report examines cotton knit fabric dyeing with natural mordants with dyes derived from onion skin executed using aqueous boiling technique. Diverse mordants, e.g., alum, ferrous sulphate, iron water, myrobalan, eucalyptus bark, and their combinations on cotton knit fabrics were used for pre-mordanting and together mordanting procedures. Several techniques and different types of equipment were used to measure various results. As a result, the mordanting techniques were reported to impact the outcomes of the dyeing procedure. That diverse mordants and mordanting techniques influenced the colour values produced a wide variety of gentle colors; thus, intermixing of natural and synthetic mordant gave the best result in together mordantation. Also, the pre-mordanting method gave averagely better results and dyeing properties than together mordanting, but eucalyptus gave the best results in together mordantation. Fading was found a little dissatisfactory in washing in case of natural mordants, yet staining properties were quite impressive. For other dyeing properties, satisfactory results were found for both natural and synthetic mordants. Their intermixing also contributed better results. Hence, it was evident that eucalyptus bark might be used as a suitable natural mordant for onion skin dyeing since eucalyptus showed the best result as an individual mordant or intermixing with synthetic mordant.

Eco-friendly Methods of Natural Dye Extraction from Bark of Ficus religiosa and Their Impacts on Dyeing Technology in Nepal

Plant-based natural dyes are eco-friendly and less allergic to the human body. Different reports on toxicity and allergic reactions that appeared in synthetic dyes cause interest in natural dyes in recent years. The present study focused on the feasibility of aqueous extraction of plant dyes from the bark of Ficus religiosa (Peepal), a historical tree of Hindu culture. Extracted dyes were characterized by ultra-violet visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to reveal the structural and functional confirmation of extracted dye. Dye was used for dyeing fabric using both natural and commercial mordant. Mordants such as lemon juice and metallic salts such as potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7), copper sulphate (CuSO4.5H2O), and iron sulphate (FeSO4) are used to set extracted dye on cotton fabrics and other fibers. This research aims to find the effectiveness and feasibility study of the use of natural mordant instead of metallic mordant. The use of natural dyeing with natural mordant is very effective for health purpose but found to be expensive.

Comparative Study of Dyeing with Cochineal Dye in Cationized Cotton with Various Proteins

ABSTRACT The dyeing of cotton with synthetic dyes is associated with environmental and health problems, which can be overcome using natural dyes. But in natural dyeing, metal mordants are commonly used, which are also related to harmful effects on the environment and health. That is why the green process should be investigated. In this work, cotton was cationized with proteins from various sources to improve its dyeing with cochineal natural dye. Different techniques for fixing proteins in cotton were evaluated, such as direct cationization in the fabric, fixation by cross-linking, and the oxidation of cotton. All proteins evaluated and their fixation techniques resulted in greater dye adsorption than cotton without cationization. The oxidation of cotton before the application of the protein was the technique that most increased the dye adsorption in all evaluated proteins. However, the fixation of ovalbumin, keratin, and collagen proteins by cross-linking showed higher color strength after the washing process. In view of all the comparisons made, the pretreatment by fixing ovalbumin with cross-linking agent resulted in the higher values of adsorption and color strength, besides a good color uniformity. Thus, ovalbumin is a viable and eco-friendly alternative in the dyeing of cotton with cochineal.

Cleaner colorant extraction and environmentally wool dyeing using oak as eco-friendly mordant.

Textile and dyeing are one of the most significant industries in many states. The employing of natural dyes in dyeing procedure is very important due to the environmental security of the area. To obtain a green, clean, and environmentally friendly dyeing of yarns, two natural dyes of madder and weld, which are native to Iran, were employed for dyeing yarns for carpet preparation. Due to the low affinity of natural dyes and maintaining the biocompatibility of the dyeing process, the oak was used as a new tannin rich mordant. The ultrasound-microwave-assisted method in water solution was used for extraction, and yield to the process was obtained about 27, 32, and 36% for madder, weld, and oak, respectively. The extractions were analyzed by UV-Visible and SEM techniques, and the ash, humidity, and density properties of these were investigated. The pre-mordanting method was employed for this study, and ferrous sulphate was used for compare of natural mordant performance. The washed, mordanted, and dyed yarns were investigated by analytical techniques, and the accuracy of these processes was confirmed. The fastness properties as well as the colorimetric characteristics of dyed yarns were assessed using related standards, and the dyed yarns have acceptable performance and could compete with metal mordant, colorimetrically.

Cleaner dyeing and antibacterial activity of wool fabric using Henna dye modified with Acacia nilotica pods

Natural dyes have promising features; however, there are some drawbacks limiting their application in textile dyeing, for example, low dyeing, and fastness properties due to the weak interaction with textiles. Many attempts have been made to improve these shortcomings by using additional chemicals such as metallic mordants which are classified as hazardous chemicals that cause some serious environmental problems. Therefore, we have designed a facile green method for the extraction of natural dye from Henna leaves using Acacia nilotica pods to improve the color intensity and enhance fibers/dye affinity. In this study, wool fabrics were dyed with Henna and Henna/Acacia dye at different dyeing conditions. FTIR and UV–vis spectrums showed peaks corresponding to tannin and its derivatives in the aqueous extract of modified Henna. Modified Henna dyed samples exhibited noticeable improvement in the color strength (K/S value), washing, rubbing, and lightfastness with excellent antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus.

Cleaner functional dyeing of wool using Kigelia Africana natural dye and Terminalia chebula bio-mordant

The cleaner methods for functional colouration of textiles are in huge demand. The use of toxic metallic mordants for achieving such an objective makes the entire process unsustainable. The biomolecules present in various green extracts can be utilized for achieving functional colouration. Kigelia Africana (KA) and Terminalia chebula (TC) are known as a rich source of biomolecules possessing antioxidant and antibacterial activities. In the present work, a bio-mordant Terminalia chebula was utilized as a mordant for natural dyeing of wool using Kigelia Africana natural dye. The colouration and functional properties were assessed using standard methods. The dyed wool fabric with satisfactory colour values and fastness properties was obtained. The dyed wool displayed antioxidant activity up to 99.41%, antibacterial activity up to 97.8% and excellent UPF. The novel sustainable option for functional colouration of wool was thus explored.

Azoic Deep Dyeing of Silk and UV Protection Using Plant Polyphenols and Diazonium Coupling

This study investigated azoic dyeing as an approach to improving the natural dyeability of silk fabric while avoiding the use of metallic mordants, which are toxic to health and the environment. An aryl diazonium salt was prepared from p-nitroaniline and used to couple with silk fabric pretreated with plant polyphenols. The interaction triggered in situ production of azo dye within the silk fibers. This dyeing approach was demonstrated to overcome the poor tinctorial strength and fastness of natural dyes. Plant polyphenols were extracted from oolong tea and mangrove bark. The CIE L*a*b* and K/S values were measured, and compared with the results of post-mordant dyeing using aluminum potassium sulfate. Even at low concentrations, aryl diazonium salt was shown to achieve deep dyeing, producing an intense brown/orange shade. The effect of azoic dyeing on color strength was strongly dependent on the primary aromatic amine concentration. At 7 % owf, the oolong tea extract produced a K/S value approximately six times that of the comparable post-mordant sample, and the mangrove bark extract approximately three times. The grater color strength achieved by the tea extract was due to the higher TPC concentration. The natural extracts conferred UV protection greater than 50 in all dyeing processes.

A synergistic combination of shrimp shell derived chitosan polysaccharide with Citrus sinensis peel extract for the development of colourful and bioactive cellulosic textile

Green finishing formulations have established an important place in textile dyeing and finishing industry. The use of plant extracts along with chemical metallic mordants is reported to increase colour values and improve fastness properties. However, metal salts as mordants constantly pose environmental and human health risks. The purpose of this work is to examine and extend the knowledge of natural dyeing technology considering the use of biological macromolecule chitosan (CS) to increase dye uptake, fastness and impart functional properties. The cotton was pre-coated with chitosan using pad-dry method and optimal chitosan concentrations were selected by evaluating the colour spectrometry data in term of CIEL*a*b* values. The chemical nature of the extract was characterized by UV–Vis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) whereas dyed samples were analysed by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) with mapping analysis, FT-IR, and TGA. Results showed that the aqueous extract of Citrus sinensis peel yielded interestingly shades all lying in yellow- red quadrant of CIELa*b* colour space with acceptable grades of wash and dry-wet fastness properties. This study reveals important information to understand synergism between two natural products in imparting semi durable antioxidant and antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus, and thus offers full potential to be used in natural dyeing technology.

Dyeing of textiles with natural dyes extracted from Terminalia arjuna and Thespesia populnea fruits

Natural dyes are eco-friendly, non-hazardous and sustainable. But the use of metal mordants such as copper, chromium, tin and zinc could make the application of natural dyes unsustainable since they are heavy metals. Hence, sustainable natural dyeing could be achieved with natural mordanting assistant such as myrobalan, metal mordants like alum and ferrous sulphate which have lesser environmental impacts compared to other metal mordants. The current study aims at extracting natural dyes from the fruits of Terminalia arjuna and Thespesia populnea and their application on textiles such as silk, cotton and nylon. Ultrasonic bath dyeing, an energy-efficient method, has been adopted for the study and the process has been compared with conventional water bath dyeing. It has been observed that ultrasonic dyeing is better both in terms of dye exhaustion and energy conservation compared to water bath dyeing.

Ecological Dyeing of Protein Fabrics with Carica papaya L. Leaf Natural Extract in the Presence of Bio-mordants as an Alternative Copartner to Metal Mordants

In the present study, an attempt has been made to investigate the possibility of protein fabric ecological dyeing with Carica papaya L. leaf dry powder extract as a natural dye. The effect of various metal salts (ferrous sulfate, alum and copper chloride) and natural tannin extracts (harda powder, pomegranate peel, orange peel and amla powder) as mordants on color and fastness properties of dyed protein fabric samples was comparatively observed. Dyeing experiments were performed with and without mordants, using all mordanting techniques, i.e., pre-mordanting, meta-mordanting and post-mordanting. The results of using bio-mordants for wool dyeing were comparable with that of the metallic mordants in terms of color strength and fastness characteristics. Bio-mordants produced quite different colors as expected from a mordant and thus offer full potential to replace metal salts in wool dyeing for ecological dyeing of textiles. UV spectra, FTIR, anti-microbial and UPF values were also evaluated. It was found that dye extract and dyed samples have very good anti-microbial behavior. The bacterial colony counting reduction (%) for both S. aureus and E. coli bacteria was found to be more than 90% for all the dyed fabrics. Dyed fabrics, especially wool, exhibited very large enhancement in UV protection. For wool, the UPF value increased from 79 for undyed wool to 704 after dyeing. In other fabrics, the UPF improvement was not very high owing to the low thickness and cover factor. Thus, dyeing with Carica papaya L. leaf dry powder extract can be a good alternative for medical textiles.

Cationization of cotton with ovalbumin to improve dyeing of modified cotton with cochineal natural dye

Natural dyeing of cotton is commonly associated with the use of metallic mordants, which are related to harmful effects on the environment and human health. For this reason, more environmentally sustainable processes should be investigated. In this work, cotton was cationized with ovalbumin by cross-linking in order to improve its dyeing with natural cochineal dye. Different pretreatments with chitosan, synthetic cationizer, and metal mordants were also carried out at different dyeing pH values. The best dyeing results were obtained at pH 3 at 55℃ on fiber pretreated by padding with a liquor concentration of 150 g L−1 ovalbumin and 90 g L−1 cross-linker. This cationization of ovalbumin by cross-linking was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, changes in the isoelectric point of the fabrics, and scanning electron microscopy. The kinetic study showed that the pseudo second-order model best represented the experimental data, indicating that the dyeing can be controlled by the chemisorption process. The equilibrium data were easily adjusted by the Langmuir model, indicating the formation of a dye monolayer in the cationized cotton. The thermodynamic study indicated that dye adsorption was spontaneous and exothermic. The cationized fabric with ovalbumin presented low wash fastness, good light fastness, and increase in tensile strength and crease recovery, with a decrease of hydrophilicity when compared with other treatments. Thus, ovalbumin is a viable and eco-friendly alternative in the dyeing of cotton with cochineal.

The potential of anthocyanins from blueberries as a natural dye for cotton: A combined experimental and theoretical study

Natural dyes might be more environmentally sustainable compared to their synthetic counterparts, however in general their performance is worse. Therefore, typically metallic mordants are applied to improve the natural dye's affinity towards substrates, but this is not a suitable technique in a ‘green story’. In this paper, we test the potential of using anthocyanins from blueberry waste for dyeing cotton with biomordants, which are selected to tailor the intermolecular interactions such as hydrogen bonds, ionic bonds and π-π interactions with the dye molecule. In the experimental part, parameters during extraction and dyeing were optimized (e.g. temperature, pH, dyeing time and concentration). The effect of the (bio)mordants was monitored by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, spectrophotometric measurements and standard ISO wash and light tests. It was shown that stannous chloride stands out as metallic mordant, while no biomordants show sufficient intermolecular interactions to replace this metal salt. The experimental study has been corroborated with a series of molecular modeling calculations to obtain more insight into the intermolecular interactions between dye and (bio)mordants. To this end, both static Density Functional Theory based calculations as semi-empirical and force field based molecular dynamics calculations have been performed. The results indeed confirm that, in general, too small interaction energies for the biomordants of interest with the dye molecules are found, in correspondence with experimental findings. Overall, by performing systematic experiments in combination with the interpretation of the molecular models, this study yields valuable insights into the development of green routes towards use of anthocyanins as a natural dye for cellulose-based materials.